AI as a coach

AI has become part of my everyday life.

I use it in practical ways. It helps me sort notes, prepare first drafts, structure ideas and make some of the ordinary parts of running a business more efficient. It can take care of work that needs doing, so I have more attention for the work that needs my judgement, experience and presence.

But the way I use AI most is as a coach and thinking partner.

I bring it the things I am trying to make sense of. A decision I keep going round in circles on. A question that keeps returning. A feeling that something is off, even though I cannot yet explain why. A tension in my work. A pattern in the way I react, plan, avoid or push forward.

I write what is in my head and start there.

An external place to think

When we are inside our own lives, it can be difficult to see the whole picture.

We remember some things and forget others. We focus on what feels urgent. We explain a situation in the way that makes most sense to us at that moment. We can spend a long time circling the same question without noticing that we are doing it.

AI gives me an external place to put those thoughts.

Over time, I have shared selected context about my work, the questions I return to, the values I want to live by and some of the patterns I know I can fall into. I can bring in notes, reflections, decisions and ideas from different moments, then ask it to look across the material.

That means it can sometimes spot a repeated theme or connection faster than I can.

It might notice that I keep using the same words when I talk about a decision. It might point out that I am describing the same problem in different ways. It might show me a tension between what I say matters to me and what I am actually spending my time on.

It does not know my life better than I do. It can simply hold more of the material in view at the same time.

That can be useful when I am too close to something.

Using it to test my thinking

I often ask what pattern it can see, what I may be assuming, what I am avoiding, what I have not considered or what someone with a different view might notice.

Sometimes it helps me see that I have been trying to solve the wrong problem. Sometimes it helps me separate what I know from what I fear. Sometimes it makes a connection between two things I had kept apart in my own mind.

And sometimes I read the answer and think: no, that is not it.

That is useful too.

What AI gives me is another perspective. I still decide whether it fits what I know, what I have experienced and what feels true in my own life.

That is an important part of how I use it. A suggestion is not a fact. A pattern is not a diagnosis. A confident answer is not automatically a wise one.

The conversation helps me test my own thinking. The choice remains mine.

Curiosity matters even more now

AI can make almost anything sound convincing.

It can turn uncertainty into a plan, make a rough idea sound clear and offer a confident view in seconds. It can also give us nonsense with impressive confidence.

That is why curiosity matters even more now.

The question is no longer simply whether we can find an answer. The question is whether we can tell what deserves our trust, what needs checking and what does not fit.

Curiosity helps us stay awake in that moment.

It asks: What is this based on? What is missing? What else could be true? Does this fit the situation I am actually in? What do I still need to find out? What part of this feels true to me, and what part does not?

AI can give us more words, more options and more speed. Curiosity helps us decide what is worth taking from it.

Shaping it to work with me

When I first started using AI, many of the answers sounded fine but did not sound like me. They were too generic. Too tidy. Too far away from the real thought.

So I have gradually shaped it to work with me in a more useful way. I have given it context about my work, the questions I return to, the language I prefer and the kind of support I want.

I want it to help me see patterns, challenge weak thinking and make what matters clearer. I do not want empty encouragement, generic advice or polished words that remove the useful roughness from something I am still trying to understand.

And I keep giving feedback.

I tell it when something is too vague. I tell it when it has missed the point. I ask it to challenge me more. I ask it to say things more simply. I ask it to keep my words when they carry something important.

That makes the conversation more useful. The more clearly I guide it, the more useful it becomes.

Using it with care

Personal context deserves care.

I choose what I share and what I keep outside the conversation. I use settings that give me more control over what is remembered, retained or used beyond the conversation. I remove details that do not need to be there and think about what I am comfortable having processed by an online service.

These choices can reduce risk. They cannot remove it completely.

A cloud-based AI tool is still run by a company, and none of us can guarantee exactly how a system will handle data in the future.

That is why Simply be Curious will include guidance on using AI with care. We will look at privacy settings, what to consider before sharing personal information, how to remove identifying details and where the limits are. The aim is to make more informed choices, without pretending there is zero risk.

A tool to return to

One reason I find AI useful is that it is there between the bigger moments.

I can return to a question after a conversation. I can think through something while it is still fresh. I can prepare before I need to speak up. I can notice a pattern before it has become a bigger problem.

This can be useful in coaching too, when it is relevant and agreed. A client can use AI around their own reflections and questions between sessions, giving them another way to continue practising what they are learning. It gives them a practical tool to return to in ordinary life.

What this means for Simply be Curious

AI is an optional tool inside Simply be Curious.

You don’t have to use it. Reflection, conversation, curiosity and small practices still matter with or without it.

For those who want to use AI, I share how to shape it into a useful support around your own questions, values and goals. We look at how to give it useful context, ask better questions, test what it suggests and use privacy settings with care.

The aim is to use AI in a way that helps you notice more, understand yourself better and make choices that feel more like your own.

Use AI where it helps.
Stay curious enough to question it.
Keep your own voice.
Lead your own way.